Corey Nickols
July 03, 2019
Me and My Emmy

Me and My Emmy: Mike B. Anderson

Primetime Emmy Tally: Two

How He Got the Gold: As director for The Simpsons, named Outstanding Short Format Animated Program in 1997 and 2001.

Now for the Noms: Anderson has been nominated 12 times as a director and producer of The Simpsons.

Perfect Attendance: "I attend every awards show when we’re nominated. Win or lose, it’s a wonderful evening, and it makes you feel a part of the larger entertainment industry. There are so many amazing animated shows these days — to be singled out for an award is a great honor."

Room for More: "I keep both Emmys in my studio on a shelf where I can occasionally catch sight of them as I work. It’s a reminder that the pursuit of excellence has many rewards. There’s more room on the shelf, too, and I’m an optimist."

Twin Wins: "We work really hard on every Simpsons episode, so directing the one that gets nominated is a bit of luck. In both cases when I won, I thought the episodes were exceptional, so being recognized with a statue felt like a tremendous validation."

Animated Anomaly: "A phenomenon like The Simpsons is unpredictable. The audience and culture have changed so much over the last three decades. The Simpsons has stayed current and popular because it holds a cracked mirror up to us flawed humans and makes us laugh at ourselves."

Still Surprising: "I have the wisdom of working on hundreds of episodes, but every time I think I have it down to a science, a script comes along that asks us to animate the most bizarre and wonderful things. Those challenges are part of the fun. I love all the characters in Springfield, and making an audience laugh with them gives me the most intoxicating feeling."


Click for more Me and My Emmy articles.


This article originally appeared in emmy magazine, Issue No. 5, 2019.

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